Channel-rolling mill



Nov. 19, 1929. A. J. TOWNSEND CHANNEL ROLLING MILL Filed Aug. 27, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet gwue'ntoz vAd 75zzzzz sazzd GHQ: un A Nov. 19, 1929. A. J. TOWNSEND 1,736,331

CHANNEL ROLLING MILL Filed Au 27. 1921 5 Sheets- Sheet 2 Ac]. 7Ezzzzzsezzd Nov. 19, 1929. A, SE D 1,736,331

CHANNEL ROLLING MILL 'Filed Aug. 27. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 lmlllll Qwiienfom Nov. 19, 1929.

A. J. TOWNSEND CHANNEL ROLLING MILL Filed Aug. 27, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Hum glvvoc l'o'l Ad 7511222150220 w a K Nov. 19, 1929. A. J. TOWNSEND CHANNEL ROLLING MILL 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 27, 1921 u m n. m a v M Patented Nov. 19, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR J'. TOWNSEND, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AMERICAN ROLLING MILL COMPANY, OF MIDDLETOWN, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO CHANN EL-ROLLIN G MILL Application filed August 27, 1921. Serial No. 496,085.

The invention relates to a mill for rolling flanged channels ,from strip steel; and the object of the improvement is to provide a centering feed for the strip and to provide rolls to form a flanged channel with a flat web and normal angles.

Reciprocating presses for bending or breaking flanges along the sides of strip steel to produce channels for use as steel studs or for making steel joist, are limited in length to comparatively short sections of the material; and the present improvement contemplates a continuous endwise rolling of flanged channels from steel strips, which are commonly produced in lengths of from one hundred to one hundred and fifty feet.

In rolling a flanged channel from strip steel, the varying width of strips preventsthe formation of flanges of equal width on the sides of the channel, when the strip is fed to the rolls by a guide on one side according to common practice; and the present improvement involves the use of guides on both sides of the strip, with an intermediate guide transversely arching the strip for centrally feeding it to the forming rolls.

The forming of a flanged channel by transversely arching the web to form normal angles on each side, and then passing the web between cylindric rolls, does not produce a flat Web because of the elasticity of the metal; and the present improvement involves.

the 'use of final rolls for slightly reversing the arch of the web so that its elasticity will return it to atrue liat plane in the finished product. p

. A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which- Figure I is aplan view of the improved mill;

Fig. II, a side elevation section of same on line IIII, Fig. I;

Fig. III, a perspective view of a section of flanged channel rolled by the improved mill; Fig. IV, a cross section of the feed mechanism on line IV-IV, Figs. I and II;

Fig. V. a'longitudinal elevation section of the feed mechanism on line VV, Figs. I and IV;

Fig. VI, a detachable face elevation of the first set of mill rolls, showing in section a strip with L-flanges partly formed;

Fig. VII, a similar view of the second set of mill rolls, showing in section a strip with the L-fianges fully formed;

Fig. VIII, a similar view of the third set of mill rolls, showing in section a strip with the main flanges partly formed;

Fig. IX, a similarview of the fourth set of mill rolls, showing in section a strip with the main flanges fully formed;

Fig. X, a similar view of the fifth set of rolls, showing in section a flanged channel with its web rolled flat; and

Fig. XI, a similar view of the sixth set of mill rolls, showing a section of the channel with its web arched to compensate for the elastic reaction.

Similar numerals refer to like parts throughout the drawings.

The mill proper A, includes the rolls 1 and 1 to 6 and 6, both inclusive,-having their necks 7 journaled in bearings 8 mounted in housings 9 and operated h gearin s 10, 11 and 12 by a motor 13; an the fee mechanism B includes the edge guides 14: and the intermediate arch guide bar 15, mounted on cross bearings 16 secured between the side frames 17 which may be supported on cross beams 18 and longitudinal girders 19.

The feed mechanism may also include feed rolls 20 and 20, and disk guides 21, rotatable respectiiely on shafts 22, 22' and 23, journaled in bearings 24, 24: and 25 and mounted in frame extensions 26; and the feed rolls may be driven by gearings 27' from the first mill roll.

The edge guides 14 are preferably in the form of channel rolls secured on upright spindles having their stems 28 journalled in bearings 29 carried between the cross frames 16 and arranged to be laterally adjusted by screws 30, turning in bearings 31 secured to the side frames 17.

' The guide rolls 14 are adjusted equi-distant on each side of the center line of the mill, and

the guide faces of the-first pair of guide rolls are preferably spaced far enough apart to receive strips of the greatest width, whence the lateral interval between the guide faces of the rolls gradually decreases to the rear pair of rolls, which are spaced apart at a less interval than the width of the narrowest strips.

The longitudinal intermediate guide 15 is secured on the cross frames 16 by means of bolts 32 having countersunk heads 32 and the ends of this guide are preferably coplanar with the top of thelower feed roll 20' and with the lower flange of the guide rolls 14. Beginning near the first set of guide rolls, the upper face of the intermediate guide bar rises gradually to a height which may correspond to the upper flange of the guide rolls, near the second set of the same, and this height may be carried to a point near the last set of guide rolls, whenca'the intermediate guide bar may decline to the plane of the nip of the first set of mill rolls.

The upper feed roll 20 is adjusted to and from the lower feed roll by means of screws 33 and hand wheels 33',Hand when feed rolls are employed the upper roll is adjusted to cooperate with the lower roll. 1 The disk guides 21 are preferably adjusted to freely receive between them the widest strips of steel, which are fed forward by the driving action of the feed rolls.

As the advance end of the strip enters between the first set of guide rolls, 'it maywrest fiatwise upon the intermediate guide; but as the strip advances it is arched upward by theintermediate guide bar, as its e ges impinge the faces of the guide rolls between the channel flanges thereof; and if the strip 34 is not too wide, it may assume the sli htly arched position shown in Fig. IV. If, owever, the strip is much wider than the interval between the guide rolls, it will be transversely arched between the rolls so as to rise above'the intermediate guide as indicated by broken lines at 34. in Fig. 4 ;.and in'either case the strip will be centrally fed to the first set of mill" rolls.

It will be understood that the feed rolls 20 and 20' may be dispensed with by providing a direct power drive for the guide rolls 14; but for simplicity of construction, it is preferred to use the power driven feed rolls as illustrated and described; and to accommodate a difference between the speed of the mill rolls and the feed rolls, the upper feed roll is preferably released by the hand wheels 33', when the strip is gripped by the mill rolls.

The first set of mill rolls 1 and 1, as shown in Fig. VI, are shaped to partly form L- flanges 35 on each side of the strip 34, and the intermediate ortion of the-strip is preferably arched slig tly in the same direction it is arched by the feed mechanism, so as to initiate the inward arching required for the formation of the flanges.

The second set of mill rolls 2 and 2 as shown in Fig. VII, are shaped to complete the normal formation of theL-fianges 35 and these rolls preferably increase the inward arch of the intermediate portion of the main flanges 36, and these rolls preferably increase the inward arching of the web portion 34 'of the strip.

The fourth set of mill rolls 4 and 4;, as shown in Fig. IX, are shaped to completethe normal formation of the main flanges and to complete the inward arching of the web portion 34 of the strip.

The fifth set of mill rolls 5 and 5', as shown inFig. X, are formed with cylindric faces toflatten the Web of the channel, the upper roll 5 being short enough to enter between the normal flanges of the channel, and the lower roll 5'-having disk flanges 5 on the ends for normally shaping the faces of the flanges.

Upon emerging from the fifth set of rolls, the elastic reaction .of the strip metal causes the flanges to react to throw their angles slightly out of normal, and also causes the previously arched web to react into a slightly inward arched formation; to rectify which, a sixth set of rolls 6 and 6 are used, with faces shaped to slightl arch the web outward, and the upper r0 1 6 is provided with flanges 6 and necks shaped to bend the flange angle inward slightly more than normal; so that upon emerging from the rolls, the web of the finally" formed channel will spring back into a flat plane, and the angles of the flanges will spring back to normal.

By these means achannel bar, as shown in Fig. III, can be continuously rolled from strip metal of any length, and the channel will be finished with all its angles normal, and its web in a flat plane.

I claim l. Mechanism for centering and feeding strip metal and the like to a mill, including edge guide rolls for each edge of the strip, and

an intermediate longitudinal guide bar for transversely arching the strip, in combination with rolls for subsequently forming the I strip.

1 Mechanism for centering and feeding strlp metal and the like to a mill, including edge guide channel rolls for each edge of the strip, and an intermediate longitudinal, guide bar for transversely arching the strip, in combination with rolls for subsequently forming the strip. Y

4. Mechanism for centering and-feeding strip metal having a certain width to a mill,

its

including a plurality of pairs of edge guides, the guides of the several pairs being spaced at a progressively decreased interval apart, and the guides of the first pair being spaced at a greater interval and the guides of the last pair at a less interval than the Width of the strip, in combination with rolls for subsequently forming the strip. r

5. A mill forming channels from strip metal including rolls curved and flanged for inwardly arching the web and bending edge flanges in the same direction to form a channel, and rolls curved and flanged for outwardly arching the Web and inwardly bending the edge flanges of the formed channel to compensate the resilient reaction of the met-a1, and means for driving the rolls.

ARTHUR J. TOWNSEND. 

